Golf Club with Adjustable Weight

ABSTRACT

A golf club with a golf club head having one or more adjustable weights is presented. The club head may include a club head body having a recessed formed therein. In some arrangements, the recess may be formed in a sole portion of the club head body. The golf club head further includes an adjustable weight that may be rotated from a first position to a second position to adjust the weight characteristics, and thus the performance characteristics of the golf club. In some arrangements, the adjustable weight and/or any hardware, fasteners, etc. associated with the adjustable weight may be constantly connected to the golf club head such that adjustment of the weight does not include removal of the weight and/or any hardware, fasteners, etc.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This U.S. patent application is a divisional application of co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 12/894,390, filed Sep. 30, 2010, and entitled “GolfClub with Adjustable Weight” which is hereby incorporated by referencein its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to golf clubs. In particular, theinvention relates to golf clubs and golf club head structures having amovable, adjustable weight that may be transferred between variouspositions.

BACKGROUND

As the popularity of the game of golf has increased in recent decades,golf club designers have continued to develop new ways to improveperformance of clubs, reduce weight associated with clubs, etc. Inaddition, club designers are often looking for new ways to redistributeweight associated with a golf club and/or golf club head. For instance,club designers are often looking to distribute weight to provide moreforgiveness in a club head, improved accuracy, and the like.Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a golf club head havinga movable or adjustable weight to permit a user to distribute weight tovarious regions of the club head as desired.

SUMMARY

The following presents a general summary of aspects of the invention inorder to provide a basic understanding of the invention and variousfeatures associated with the invention. This summary is not intended tolimit the scope of the invention in any way, but it simply provides ageneral overview and context for the more detailed description thatfollows.

Aspects of this invention relate to golf clubs and golf club headstructures having movable and/or adjustable weights that may be adjustedby an end user to alter the flight path of a ball. In some arrangements,a club head may include one or more adjustable weights that are movablefrom a first position to a second position, and vice versa, to alter theflight path of a ball. The first position may, in some arrangements beproximal a front portion of the golf club head while the second positionmay, in some arrangements, be proximal the rear portion of the golf clubhead. In some examples, the movable and/or adjustable weight, as well asany hardware, fasteners, etc. associated with the adjustable weight, mayremain connected to the club head in the first position, second positionand any intermediate positions. That is, the weight and associatedhardware may, in some arrangements, not be removable from the golf clubhead but rather may be adjustable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention and certainadvantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the followingdetailed description in consideration with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1A is an example golf club that may be used in accordance withillustrative aspects of the invention.

FIG. 1B is a top view of the example golf club of FIG. 1A in accordancewith aspects of the invention.

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate one adjustable weight arrangement in accordancewith illustrative aspects of the invention.

FIGS. 3A-3C are alternate views of the adjustable weight arrangementshown in FIGS. 2A-2C and accordance with illustrative aspects of theinvention.

FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate yet another adjustable weight arrangement inaccordance with illustrative aspects of the invention.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate another example moveable and/or adjustable weightarrangements in accordance with at least some illustrative aspects ofthe invention.

FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate yet another example moveable and/or adjustableweight arrangement in accordance with at least some illustrative aspectsof the invention.

The reader is advised that the attached drawings are not necessarilydrawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of various example structures in accordancewith the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings,which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustrationvarious example articles, including one or more golf club or golf clubhead structures. Additionally, it is to be understood that otherspecific arrangements of parts and structures may be utilized andstructural and functional modifications may be made without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. Also, while the terms “top,”“bottom,” “front,” “back,” “rear,” “side,” “underside,” “overhead,” andthe like may be used in this specification to describe various examplefeatures and elements of the invention, these terms are used herein as amatter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations shown inthe figures and/or the orientations in typical use. Nothing in thisspecification should be construed as requiring a specific threedimensional or spatial orientation of structures in order to fall withinthe scope of this invention. Further, the invention generally will bedescribed as it relates to wood-type golf clubs. However, aspects of theinvention may be used with any of several types of golf clubs, includinghybrid type golf clubs, utility clubs, and the like and nothing in thespecification or figures should be construed to limit the invention touse with the wood-type golf clubs described.

A. General Description of an Illustrative Golf Club with Golf Club HeadHaving a Movable and/or Adjustable Weight

In general, as described above, aspects of this invention relate to agolf club or golf club head structure. More detailed descriptions ofaspects of this invention follow.

1. Example Golf Clubs and Golf Club Heads Having Movable and/orAdjustable Weights

Aspects of this invention relate to golf club and golf club headstructures. In at least some examples, the golf club head includes aclub head body including at least a front, a rear, a heel, a toe, asole, a top and a ball striking surface. The club head body may definean interior cavity of the golf club head. In some arrangements, a recessmay be formed in the sole of the golf club head. The golf club head mayfurther include an adjustable weight, the adjustable weight beingreceived in the recess formed in the sole of the golf club. In someexamples, the adjustable weight may be movably connected to the golfclub head. For instance, the adjustable weight may be movable from afirst position proximal the front portion of the club head body to asecond position proximal the rear portion of the club head body. In somearrangements, the adjustable weight may be rotatable from the firstposition to the second position in a plane that is generallyperpendicular to the ball striking surface of the club head body. In atleast some examples, the adjustable weight and any hardware, fasteners,etc. associated with the weight may be constantly connected to the clubhead in the first position, second position and any intermediatepositions.

In other arrangements, the golf club head may include a club head bodyhaving a recess formed therein, the club head body having a first endand a second end. The golf club head may further include an adjustableweight shaped to be received in at least a portion of the recess formedin the club head body. In some examples, the adjustable weight isrotatable from a first position proximal the first end of the club headbody to a second position proximal the second end of the club head body.In some arrangements, the golf club head may further include a hingearound which the adjustable weight may be rotated.

In still other arrangements, the golf club head may include a club headbody, the club head body including at least a front, a rear, a heel, atoe, a sole, a top and a ball striking surface. In some examples, theclub head body may define an interior cavity of the golf club head. Insome examples, a recess may be formed in the sole of the club head body.The golf club head may further include an adjustable weight configuredto be received in the recess. In at least some examples, the adjustableweight may be rotatable about a pivot point. In some arrangements, theadjustable weight may have a first end having a first weight and asecond end having a second weight, the first weight being different fromthe second weight. In at least some arrangements, the first end and thesecond end may be formed of different materials. In still otherarrangements, the adjustable weight may be formed of a first materialand one end of the adjustable weight may further include an embeddedweight formed of a second material different from the first material.

In still other arrangements, the golf club head may include a club headbody having a recess formed therein, the club head body may have a frontand a rear. The golf club head may further include an adjustable weightshaped to be received in the recess of the club head body. In somearrangements, the adjustable weight may be adjustable from a firstposition, in which a first end of the adjustable weight is positionedproximal the front region of the club head body and a second end of theadjustable weight is positioned proximal the rear of the club head body,to a second position in which the first end of the adjustable weight isproximal the rear and the second end of the adjustable weight isproximal the front. In at least some examples, the first end of theadjustable weight includes a first end weight and the second end of theadjustable weight includes a second end weight. In some arrangements,the second end weight may be different from the first end weight.

Additional aspects and specific examples of the articles described abovewill be described in detail more fully below. The reader shouldunderstand that these specific examples are set forth merely toillustrate examples of the invention, and they should not be construedas limiting the invention.

B. Specific Examples of the Invention

Referring to the figures and following discussion, golf clubs and golfclub heads in accordance with the present invention are described. Asdiscussed above, the golf club and club head structures described hereinmay be described in terms of wood-type golf clubs. However, the presentinvention is not limited to the precise arrangements disclosed hereinbut applies to golf clubs generally, including hybrid clubs, iron-typegolf clubs, utility-type golf clubs, and the like.

Example golf club and golf club head structures in accordance with thisinvention may relate to “wood-type” golf clubs and golf club heads,e.g., clubs and club heads typically used for drivers and fairway woods,as well as for “wood-type” utility or hybrid clubs, or the like.Although these club head structures may have little or no actual “wood”material, they still may be referred to conventionally in the art as“woods” (e.g., “metal woods,” “fairway woods,” etc.).

Golf club heads may generally include a plurality of different regions,segments, portions, ends, etc. In an example arrangements, a golf clubhead may generally include a front face, a rear, a toe, a heel, a crownand a sole that may generally define an interior of the golf club head.The golf club head may include a multiple piece construction andstructure, e.g., including one or more of a sole, a front face(optionally including a ball striking surface integrally formed thereinor attached thereto), a top or crown, a rear, etc. Of course, ifdesired, various portions of the club head structure may be integrallyformed with one another, as a unitary, one piece construction, withoutdeparting from the invention (e.g., the front face and/or rear may beintegrally formed with the sole and/or crown, etc.). Optionally, ifdesired, the various portions of the club head structure (such as thesole, the crown, the face, the rear, etc.) individually may be formedfrom multiple pieces of material without departing from this invention(e.g., a multi-piece crown, a multi-piece sole, etc.). Also, as otheralternatives, if desired, the entire club head may be made as a single,one piece, unitary construction, or a front face may be attached to aone piece club head aft body (optionally, a hollow body, etc.). Morespecific examples and features of golf club heads and golf clubstructures according to this invention will be described in detail belowin conjunction with the example golf club structures illustrated inFIGS. 1 through 4.

FIGS. 1A and 1B generally illustrate a wood-type golf club 100 that maybe used in accordance with one example of this invention. The golf club100 includes a golf club head 102 having, in the arrangement shown, amulti-part construction and a hosel 104 at which the head 102 isconnected to a shaft 106. The hosel 104 may be of any desired design andconstruction without departing from this invention (e.g., an exteriorlyextending hosel 104, as shown; an internal hosel; a releasable hosel;etc.), including conventional designs and constructions as are known andused in the art. Likewise, the shaft 106 may be made of any desiredmaterials and connected to the hosel 104 (or directly to the club head102) in any desired manner, including conventional materials, connectedin conventional manners, as are known and used in the art. As some morespecific examples, if desired, the shaft 106 may be made from steel(including stainless steel), aluminum, or other metal or metal alloymaterials; graphite based materials; composite or other non-metalmaterials; polymeric materials, combinations of various materials, etc.The shaft 106 may be connected to the hosel 104 and/or directly to theclub head 102 via cements or adhesives, via mechanical connectionsystems, and the like. If desired, the shaft 106 may be connected to thehosel 104 or to the club head 102 by a releasable mechanical or adhesiveconnection that easily allows the club head 102 and shaft 106 to beseparated from one another (and optionally thereafter engaged with adifferent head or shaft).

A grip 108 or other handle element may be provided on and/or integrallyformed with the shaft 106. Any desired materials may be used for thegrip 108, such as rubber based materials (synthetic or natural); polymerbased materials (including cord or other fabric or textile containingpolymers); leather materials (synthetic or natural); etc. The grip 108or other handle element may be engaged with or formed as part of theshaft 106 in any desired manner without departing from this invention,including through the use of adhesives or cements, mechanical connectors(e.g., threaded connections), welding, soldering or the like. In somearrangements, the grip or handle 108 may be integrally formed as aunitary, one-piece construction with the shaft 106. In at least someexample structures according to this invention, the grip 108 will bemade of conventional materials as are known and used in the art, and itwill be attached to the shaft 106 in conventional manners as are knownand used in the art.

The club head 102 itself also may be constructed in any suitable ordesired manner and/or from any suitable or desired materials withoutdeparting from this invention, including from conventional materialsand/or in conventional manners known and used in the art. For example,in the example structure 102 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the club head 102includes a ball striking surface 102 a (optionally including a ballstriking face plate 102 b integrally formed with the surface 102 a orattached to club such that the face plate 102 b and a frame togetherconstitute the overall ball striking surface 102 a). In somearrangements, the ball striking surface 102 a and/or ball striking faceplate 102 b may be connected to the remainder of the club head using oneor more mechanical fasteners. The club head 102 of this illustratedexample further includes a crown 102 c, a sole 102 d, and at least onebody portion 102 e located between the crown or top 102 c (e.g.,material extending from the face member 102 a, around the club headperiphery from the heel end or edge to the toe end or edge). This bodyportion 102 e, which extends to a location substantially opposite thestriking face, may include a rear of the club head structure.

A wide variety of overall club head constructions are possible withoutdeparting from this invention. For example, if desired, some or all ofthe various individual parts of the club head 102 described above may bemade from multiple pieces that are connected together (e.g., by welding,adhesives, or other fusing techniques; by mechanical connectors; etc.).The various parts (e.g., crown 102 c, sole 102 d, and/or body portion(s)102 e) may be made from any desired materials and combinations ofdifferent materials, including materials that are conventionally knownand used in the art, such as metal materials, including lightweightmetal materials. More specific examples of suitable lightweight metalmaterials include steel, titanium and titanium alloys, aluminum andaluminum alloys, magnesium and magnesium alloys, etc.

As additional examples or alternatives, in order to reduce the club head102 weight, if desired, one or more portions of the club head structure102 advantageously may be made from a composite material, such as fromcarbon fiber composite materials that are conventionally known and usedin the art. Other suitable composite or other non-metal materials thatmay be used for one or more portions of the club head structure 102include, for example: fiberglass composite materials, basalt fibercomposite materials, polymer materials, etc. As some more specificexamples, if desired, at least some portion(s) of the crown 102 c may bemade from composite or other non-metal materials. Additionally oralternatively, if desired, at least some portion(s) of the sole 102 dmay be made from composite or other non-metal materials. As stilladditional examples or alternatives, if desired, one or more portions ofthe club head's body member 102 e (e.g., U-shaped or C-shaped ribbons ofmaterial that extend around the rear of the club head 102 and from theface component's 102 b heel to the toe) may be made from composite orother non-metal materials. As yet further examples, if desired, theentire body portion of the club head aft of a club head face 102 a (alsocalled an “aft body”), or optionally the entire club head, may be madefrom composite or other non-metal materials without departing from thisinvention. The composite or other non-metal material(s) may beincorporated as part of the club head structure 102 in any desiredmanner, including in conventional manners that are known and used in theart. Reducing the club head's weight (e.g., through the use of compositeor other non-metal materials, lightweight metals, metallic foam or othercellular structured materials, etc.) allows club designers and/or clubfitters to selectively position additional weight in the overall clubhead structure 102, e.g., to desirable locations to increase the momentof inertia, affect the center of gravity location, and/or affect otherplayability characteristics of the club head structure 102 (e.g., todraw or fade bias a club head; to help get shots airborne by providing alow center of gravity; to help produce a lower, more boring ball flight;to help correct or compensate for swing flaws that produce undesiredball flights, such as hooks or slices, ballooning shots, etc.).

The various individual parts that make up a club head structure 102, ifmade from multiple pieces, may be engaged with one another and/or heldtogether in any suitable or desired manner, including in conventionalmanners known and used in the art. For example, the various parts of theclub head structure 102, such as the ball striking surface 102 a, theball striking plate 102 b, the crown 102 c, the sole 102 d, and/or thebody portion(s) 102 e may be joined and/or fixed together (directly orindirectly through intermediate members) by adhesives, cements, welding,soldering, or other bonding or finishing techniques, and the like. Insome arrangements, the various parts of the club head 102 may be joinedby mechanical connectors (such as threads, screws, nuts, bolts, or otherconnectors), and the like. If desired, the mating edges of various partsof the club head structure 102 (e.g., the edges where members 102 a, 102b, 102 c, 102 d, and/or 102 e contact and join to one another) mayinclude one or more raised ribs, tabs, ledges, or other engagementelements that fit into or onto corresponding grooves, slots, surfaces,ledges, openings, or other structures provided in or on the facing sideedge to which it is joined. Cements, adhesives, mechanical connectors,finishing material, or the like may be used in combination with theraised rib/groove/ledge/edge or other connecting structures describedabove to further help secure the various parts of the club headstructure 102 together.

The dimensions and/or other characteristics of a golf club headstructure according to examples of this invention may vary significantlywithout departing from the invention. As some more specific examples,club heads in accordance with at least some examples of this inventionmay have dimensions and/or other characteristics that fall within thevarious example ranges of dimensions and/or characteristics of the clubheads described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/125,327 filed May10, 2005 (and corresponding to U.S. Published Patent Appln. No.2005-0239576 A1 published Oct. 27, 2005). Note, for example, the Tablesin these documents. This U.S. patent publication is entirelyincorporated herein by reference. In accordance with at least someexample club head structures according to this invention, the ratio ofthe breadth dimension (i.e., overall dimension “B” in the front to backdirection) to length dimension (i.e., overall dimension “L” from in theheel to toe direction) (i.e., ratio “B/L”) will be at least 0.9, and insome examples, this ratio may be at least 0.92, at least 0.93, at least0.94, at least 0.95, at least 0.96, at least 0.97, or even at least0.98. The length dimension L may be at least 4 inches, and in someexamples, at least 4.25 inches, at least 4.5 inches, at least 4.75inches, or even at least 4.85 inches. The club head may have any desiredvolume, including, for example, a volume of at least 200 cc, and in someexamples at least 350 cc, at least 400 cc, at least 420 cc, or even atleast 450 cc.

One example way to improve performance of the club, or accuracy,distance, etc. of a shot, is by redistributing the weight of the clubhead to one or more regions in order to lower or shift a center ofgravity of the club. FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate one example arrangement of agolf club head having a movable and/or adjustable weight that may beadjusted by an end user to alter the performance characteristics of thegolf club. The club head 200 shown in FIGS. 2A-2C includes a recessregion 202 formed in a bottom surface or sole portion 206 of the golfclub head 200. An adjustable weight 204 may be received into the recess202 or a portion thereof. The position of the adjustable weight 204within the recess may alter the performance characteristics of the golfclub head, as will be discussed more fully below.

The geometry of the moveable weight, or adjustable weight 204 may aid indistributing weight to desired areas or regions of the club head 200.For instance, the adjustable weight 204 shown may be somewhat T-shapedin order to aid in distributing weight to the outer corners of the clubhead 200. Also, the adjustable weight 204 may be symmetrical along anaxis extending through a center of the club head from the front face ofthe golf club head to the rear edge of the golf club head. Although thissomewhat T-shaped arrangement is shown, various other geometries may beused in accordance with this disclosure and nothing in the specificationor figures should be viewed as limiting the adjustable weight 204 to thegeometry shown. For instance, in some examples, the movable and/oradjustable weight 204 may be plus (+) shaped with the various ends ofthe plus having one or more different weight values such that themovable and/or adjustable weight may be flipped (or, in somearrangements, rotated, as will be discussed more fully below) to adjustthe weight characteristics of the golf club head. Although asubstantially square shaped club head 200 is shown, the adjustableweight arrangements described herein may be used with club heads havingmore rounded, oblong, etc. shapes and nothing in the description orfigures should be viewed as limiting the adjustable weight arrangementsto use with substantially square head golf clubs.

The weight 204 shown in FIGS. 2A-2C may be moveable and/or adjustablewithin the recess 202 in the club head 200. In some arrangements, themoveable and adjustable weight 204 may be permanently connected to theclub head 200, while remaining moveable or adjustable relative to theclub head 200. That is, although the weight 204 may be moved, adjusted,rotated, etc., the adjustable weight 204 may remain connected to theclub head 200 or in contact with the club head 200 from a first position(such as shown in FIG. 2A) to a second position (such as shown in FIG.2C) and through various intermediate positions (such as shown in FIG.2B). Additionally or alternatively, any fixtures, hardware, etc. thatmay be used to connect the adjustable weight 204 to the club head 200,such as connector 203, may also be permanently connected to the clubhead 200. That is, while any hardware may be moveable, adjustable (i.e.,able to be tightened or loosened), etc. it may remain connected to or incontact with the club head 200 in all or substantially all positions.Some examples of hardware that may be used as connector 203 to connectthe adjustable, movable weight 204 to the golf club head 200 may includelock nuts, set screws, hook and loop type fasteners (such as VELCRO),double sided tape or other adhesives, and the like. This permanentconnection of the adjustable weight 204 and/or hardware may reduce arisk of the adjustable weight or hardware being thrown from the clubduring use. Further, the permanent connection may aid in ease ofadjusting the weight 204 because all parts remain connected to the clubhead 200, thereby reducing a risk of loss of parts.

FIG. 2A illustrates one arrangement of a golf club head 200 with movableand adjustable weight 204 in a first position. As shown, one or moreweights 204 are contained within a recess 202 formed in a bottom surfaceor sole 206 of the club head 200. The size, shape and configuration ofthe weight 204 may vary based on the type of club, skill level of thegolfer, number of weights used, and the like. In order to redistribute aportion of the weight associated with the club head 200 to a rear 210 ofthe club head 200, the adjustable weight 204 may be pulled upward, awayfrom the surface of the club head (i.e., along arrow 220), rotatedtoward the rear 210 of the club head 200 and pressed into acorresponding rear portion 202 b of the recess 202, as shown in FIGS.2A-2C. Although FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate a single weight 204 rotating fromthe forward portion 202 a of the recess 202 to the rear portion 202 b ofthe recess 202, a plurality of weights 204 may also be used.

For instance, FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate one arrangement in which aplurality of weights 504 may be adjustable and/or movable relative toeach other and the golf club head 500 to adjust the weightcharacteristics of the golf club head 500. For instance, in FIG. 5A, aplurality of weights 504 may be stacked in a portion of the recess 502.In some examples, one or more weights may be moved to the oppositeportion of the recess 502 to adjust the weight characteristics of thegolf club head 500. For example, FIG. 5B illustrates two weight members,labeled 504 b being rotated to the opposite portion of the recess 502.Additional movable weight member 504 a, as illustrated, may remain inthe initial portion of the recess 502. FIG. 5C illustrates the multipleweight members 504 b in the front portion of the recess 502, while 504 aremains in the rear. As desired, the weight member 504 b may be movedback to the rear portion of the recess 502 or one weight member of 504 bmay be rotated to the rear portion of the recess 502, etc. This maypermit further adjustment of the weight of the golf club head 500. Insome examples, each weight member may have the same or similar weightvalues or characteristics. In other examples, the weight characteristicsmay vary. Although three weight members are shown, more of fewer movableweight members may be provided to provide further adjustment of weightdistribution.

FIG. 2B illustrates one intermediate position of the adjustable weight204. That is, the adjustable weight 204 has been pulled upward androtated out of the forward portion 202 a of the recess 202 and towardthe rear portion 202 b of the recess 202. Although the recess 202 isshown as a continuous cavity including both a front portion 202 a and arear portion 202 b, in some arrangements, the front portion 202 a andrear portion 202 b may be separate recesses that are not joined or mayhave a separator between the two portions. In some arrangements, themovable, adjustable weight 204 may be rotatably and/or hingedlyconnected to the club head 200 in order to provide a permanent orconstant connection between the adjustable weight 204 and the club head200 throughout all positions of the adjustable weight 204. The hinge, ora portion of the hinge, may, in some examples, be recessed into the clubhead, as will be discussed more fully below. For instance, theadjustable weight 204 may rotate around a hinge point, such as pin 224in FIG. 2B. Pin 224 may, in some examples, extend through at least aportion of the adjustable weight 204 and into a portion of the golf clubhead.

FIG. 2C illustrates one example arrangement in which the adjustableweight 204 has been rotated to the rear portion 202 b of the recess 202.As shown, the forward portion 202 a of the recess 200, which housed theadjustable weight 204 in FIG. 2A, is shown as vacant (i.e., the emptycavity of the recess 202 is visible) while the adjustable weight 204 iscontained within the rear portion 202 b of the recess 202. In somearrangements, the adjustable weight 204 may be held in the desiredportion of the recess 202 using a friction fit, snap fit, or otherconnector 203 such as a lock nut, set screw, hook and loop fastener(e.g., VELCRO), double sided tape or other adhesive, and the like. Insome arrangements, mechanical fasteners may be used. These mechanicalfasteners may, in some examples, maintain a permanent connection to theclub head while being adjustable to permit movement of the adjustableweight 204. That is, although the mechanical fastener may be adjustableor moveable, it may not be removable from the club head and may remainconstantly connected to the club head 200. Alternatively, a removablefastener, such as a standard screw, may be used in some arrangements, tosecure the weight 204 in position. That is, the connector 203 may be ascrew opening configured to receive a screw, etc. to secure theadjustable weight 204 to the golf club head.

In still other examples, the adjustable weight 204 may be held in placeusing detents and corresponding apertures to receive the detents. Forinstance, one or more detents, such as detent 220 a, may be arrangedwithin the recess 202. In some examples, the detents 220 a may bearranged on the sidewall of the recess, as shown in FIG. 2B. Theadjustable weight 204 may include one or more apertures 220 b tocorrespond to the one or more detents 220 a. The detents 220 a may bereceived in the apertures 220 b and may maintain the position of theadjustable weight 204 until the weight 204 is moved to another position.In some examples, a screw, such as screw 222, may be used to furthersecure the position of the adjustable weight 204 within the recess 202.For instance, a quarter-turn fastener may be used in one example to aidin securing the position of the adjustable weight 204. Alternatively,the detents 220 a may be formed in the adjustable weight 204 while theapertures 220 b may be formed in the recess 202.

The adjustable weight 204 may be made of any suitable material,including metals, non-metallic materials, composites, ceramics,polymers, and the like. In some arrangements, the adjustable weight 204may be formed of carbon steel, stainless steel, carbon fiber, tungsten,tungsten loaded polymer, combinations of one or more of these materials,and the like. In some arrangements, the adjustable weight 204 may beformed of a flexible material to allow some bending or flex in theadjustable weight 204. In other arrangements, the adjustable weight 204may be formed of stiffer materials. In some examples, the adjustableweight 204 may be formed using molding techniques, such as injectionmolding. In some examples, the adjustable weight 204 may be formed usinga rapid prototyping technique, such as laser sintering,stereolithography, and the like.

The size and/or percentage of total mass of the golf club headassociated with the adjustable weight 204 may vary based on the desiresof the player, skill level of the player, and the like. In someexamples, the adjustable weight 204 may comprise greater than 5% of thetotal mass of the golf club head. In other examples, the movable and/oradjustable weight 204 may comprise at least 10% of the mass of the golfclub head. In still other examples, the mass associated with the movableand/or adjustable weight 204 may comprise at least 15% of the mass ofthe golf club head.

Distributing weight to various portions of the club head 200 using anadjustable weight 204 that may be rotated from a forward position to arear position may allow users or club fitters to affect the flight ofballs propelled using club heads, such as club head 200 describedherein, and golf clubs in accordance with these examples of theinvention. For example, it is typically easier for at least some usersto get a golf ball airborne using a club head having significant weightlocated lower and toward its rear (e.g., an adjustable weight 204 in arear position, such as shown in FIG. 2C). Such weight positioning alsomay be used to provide a higher, more lofted golf ball flight path, atleast for some users. Under some play conditions and/or for some swingtypes, however, this higher flight bias and/or ball flight path may notbe desirable. For example, to produce lower, more boring ball flights,e.g., for play in windy conditions, or for swing flaws that typicallyproduce an excessively high, ballooning ball flight, the adjustableweight 204 may be rotated to the forward position (such as shown in FIG.2A) to provide increased weight in a forward region of the club head,toward the ball striking face. Accordingly, a user is not committed tomaintaining the adjustable weight 204 in just one position and may,instead, adjust or rotate the adjustable weight 204 to distribute theweight of the club as desired for various conditions, a particular shot,etc.

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate cross sectional views of the movable and/oradjustable weight arrangement shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. The weight 204 isgenerally arranged in a bottom surface or sole of the club head 200.This distribution of weight in a lower portion of the club head 200provides a lower center of gravity which may provide improvedperformance. In the arrangement of FIG. 3A, the adjustable weight 204has been removed from the front portion 202 a of the recess 202 and hasbeen at least partially rotated toward the rear 210 of the club head 200along a path shown by arrow 240. The adjustable weight 204 is generallyrotated around a pivot point that may be positioned generally in acentral region of the recess 202. The pivot point may include a hinge215 that aids in rotation of the adjustable weight from a forwardposition to a rear position. In some examples, the pivot point mayinclude a pin 224 around which the adjustable weight may rotate. Asshown in FIG. 3A-3C, the adjustable weight 204 may, in somearrangements, rotate through a plane that is generally perpendicular toa striking face of the club head.

FIG. 3B illustrates the adjustable weight 204 in another intermediateposition. The adjustable weight 204 is generally rotated along the pathindicated by arrow 240 from a front portion 202 a of the recess 202 tothe rear portion 202 b of the recess 202. FIG. 3C illustrates theadjustable weight 204 in yet another intermediate position as it isnearly contained within rear portion 202 b of the recess 202. Theadjustable weight 204 may continue to be rotated along a path indicateby arrow 240 until it is contained within the rear portion 202 b of therecess 202 a. As discussed above, the adjustable weight 204 may be heldin place in the recess 202 by a friction fit, snap fit, etc. As alsodiscussed above, the adjustable weight 204 may be rotated from a firstposition to a second position without the weight and, in somearrangements, any hardware, etc., being removed from the club head.Instead, the adjustable weight and/or fasteners, hardware, etc. mayremain connected to the club head 200 throughout rotation of theadjustable weight 204.

Although the figures generally illustrate an adjustable weight beingrotated from a forward position to a rear position, the adjustableweight may also be rotated in a reverse direction, e.g., from a rearposition to a front position, and nothing in the specification orfigures should be viewed as limiting rotation of the adjustable weight204 to any particular direction.

FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate another arrangement of an adjustable weight for agolf club head. The golf club head 300 generally includes a recess 302and movable and/or adjustable weight 304. The adjustable weight 304 maybe sized and configured to fit within and/or be contained within therecess 302 in an in-use position. Although one adjustable weight 304 isshown in the Figures, in some arrangements, multiple movable and/oradjustable weights may be used. For instance, a plurality of adjustableweights 304 may be stacked vertically within the recess and one or moremay be adjusted to redistribute the weight properties of the club head300.

FIG. 4A illustrates the adjustable weight 304 in a first position. Theadjustable weight 304 may include a first end 304 a and a second end 304b. The first end 304 a may, in some arrangements, be heavier than thesecond end 304 b. That is, the first end 304 a may be formed of aheavier or more dense material than the second end 304 b. Alternatively,the first end 304 a may be lighter than the second end 304 b. Thus, theposition of the adjustable weight 304 having ends of differing weightsmay alter the weight characteristics of the club head 300. For instance,if the heavier end of the adjustable weight 304 is positioned toward therear 310 of the club head 300 (i.e., the lighter end toward the front),the club may provide a higher, more lofted flight path for a ball.Alternatively, if the heavier end of the club head 300 is positionedtoward the front of the club head 312 (i.e., the lighter end of theadjustable weight 304 is positioned toward the rear end 310), the clubmay provide a lower loft for the ball.

The adjustable weight 304 may be made of any suitable material,including metals, non-metallic materials, composites, ceramics,polymers, and the like. In some arrangements, the adjustable weight 304,or portions thereof, may be formed of aluminum, carbon steel, stainlesssteel, carbon fiber, tungsten, tungsten loaded polymer, and the like.For instance, the adjustable weight 304 may be generally formed ofaluminum or aluminum alloy and may include a tungsten loaded weight atone end of the adjustable weight 304 to provide the difference in weightbetween the first end 304 a and the second end 304 b.

In some arrangements, the adjustable weight 304 may be formed of aflexible material to allow some bending or flex in the adjustable weight304. In other arrangements, the adjustable weight 304 may be formed ofstiffer materials. In some examples, the adjustable weight 304 may beformed using molding techniques, such as injection molding. Forinstance, the adjustable weight 304 may be injection molded in atwo-shot process to provide one end of the adjustable weight 304 that isheavier than the other end. In some examples, the adjustable weight 304may be formed using a rapid prototyping technique, such as lasersintering, stereolithography, and the like. In these arrangements,different materials may be used in each end of the adjustable weight 304to provide a difference in weight between the ends or, in some examples,one end may be formed using additional material than the other end toprovide additional weight.

The adjustable weight 304 may be held in place by a fastener 350. Thefastener 350 may, in some arrangements, be adjustable. In some examples,both the adjustable weight 304 and the fastener 350 may be connected tothe club head 300 such that adjustment of the weight 304 or the fastener350 does not result in removal of the weight 304 or fastener 350 fromthe club head 300. That is, the adjustable weight 304 and fastener 350,as well as any additional fasteners or hardware (not shown) may beconstantly connected to the club head 300 regardless of the position ofthe adjustable weight 304.

In order to adjust the weight, the adjustable weight 304 may be rotated,for instance, around the fastener 350. In some arrangements, thefastener may be biased or spring loaded to draw the adjustable weight304 downward, toward the recess 302 formed in the club head 300.Adjustment of the weight 304 may include pulling or lifting theadjustable weight 304 upward, out of the recess 302 (against the bias ofthe spring loaded fastener 350) and rotating the adjustable weight 304about the fastener 350. The fastener 350 may extend to permit thisupward movement and rotation of the adjustable weight 304 and may pullthe adjustable weight 304 downward, due to the bias of the fastener 350,when the adjustable weight 304 is aligned with the recess 302. Forinstance, fastener 350 may include a pull-down friction fastener to aidin adjusting and/or maintaining position of the weight 304.

For example, FIG. 4A illustrates the adjustable weight 304 in a firstposition. In order to adjust the weight, the adjustable weight 304 maybe pulled upward, out of the recess 302, as shown in FIG. 4B. In someexamples, the adjustable weight 304 may be spring loaded to maintain theposition of the adjustable weight 304 within the recess 302. Theadjustable weight 304 may be rotated, for instance, along a pathindicated by arrow 320. As shown in FIGS. 4A-4D, in some arrangements,the adjustable weight 304 may be rotated in plane generallyperpendicular to a striking face of the club head 300.

FIG. 4C illustrates the movable and/or adjustable weight 304 in anotherintermediate position as the adjustable weight 304 is rotated from afirst position to a second position. End 304 a is shown proximal therear end 310 of the club head 300, while end 304 b is shown positionedproximal the front 312 of the club head 300. FIG. 4D illustrates theadjustable weight 304 in the second position. As shown, the adjustableweight 304 is contained within the recess 302 and may be held in placeby fastener 350, such as biased or spring loaded fastener describedabove. End 304 a is positioned near the rear end 310 of the club head300 while end 304 b is position proximal the front end 312 of the clubhead 300. These positions are generally the opposite of the positionshown in FIG. 4A in which end 304 b was positioned proximal the rear 310of the club head 300 while end 304 a was positioned proximal the frontend 312 of the club head 300. The difference in weight associated withends 304 a and 304 b may provide adjustability to a user in order tovary loft characteristics associated with a ball struck by the club. Asdiscussed above, movement or adjustment of adjustable weight 304 throughthe positions shown in the figures, and various other positionsthroughout rotation, may be performed with the adjustable weight 304 andany fasteners, such as fastener 350, being constantly connected to theclub head 300. This arrangement may reduce the risk associated withloose or loosely connected portions of the weight system being thrownfrom the club head 300 during use.

FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate one example movable and/or adjustable weightarrangement similar to the arrangement of FIGS. 2A-3C, however, themovable and/or adjustable weight 604 may rotate from a heel end of therecess 650 of the golf club head to a toe end of the recess 652, andvice versa. For instance, FIG. 6A illustrates the movable and/oradjustable weight 604 slightly removed from a toe end of the recess 652of the golf club head. The moveable and/or adjustable weight may berotated in a direction indicate by line 660. FIG. 6B illustrates theadjustable weight 604 further rotated toward the heel end of the recess650 from the position shown in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6C illustrates theadjustable weight 604 nearing the heel end recess 650. Similar to thearrangements of FIGS. 3A-3C, the rotation of the adjustable weight 604from the toe end recess to the heel end recess (or the heel end recessto the toe end recess, as desired) may permit the weight associated withthe club to be redistributed or adjusted to suit the desired performancecharacteristics of the golfer. Additionally or alternatively, themovable/adjustable weight member 604 may include a plurality of weightmembers, similar to the arrangement of FIGS. 5A-5C. Also similar to thearrangement of FIGS. 6A-6C, the adjustable weight 604 may rotate about apin, such as pin 624, or hinge. Although a pin arrangement is shown inthe figures, other types of rotational arrangements may be used withoutdeparting from the invention.

In still other examples, slidable weights may be used to provideadjustment of the weight distribution associated with the golf clubhead. For instance, one or more weight members may be slidable along asurface of the golf club head, for example within a recess, to shift aportion of the weight from one position to another, as desired.

Weight adjustable golf club heads of the types described above may beused by golfers, on the golf course, for their regular play (users canmaintain the ability to modify the weight settings and/or customize theclub head to their swing characteristics). As another example, however,golf club heads in accordance with at least some examples of thisinvention (e.g., of the types described above) also may be useful forclub fitting purposes. For example, by providing club heads withadjustable weight members of the types described above, club fittersand/or users can quickly adjust the playing characteristics of a clubhead by adjusting or repositioning the adjustable weight used with theclub head. In this manner, a user being fit for new clubs and/or clubcomponents can quickly try different weighting characteristics for theclub head using a single club head in order to determine a weightarrangement suited to the user.

CONCLUSION

While the invention has been described in detail in terms of specificexamples including presently preferred modes of carrying out theinvention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there arenumerous variations and permutations of the above described systems andmethods. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construedbroadly as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A golf club head, comprising: a club head body,the club head body including at least a front, a rear, a heel, a toe, asole portion, a top and a ball striking surface, the club head bodydefining an interior cavity of the golf club head; a recess formed inthe sole of the golf club head; and an adjustable weight, the adjustableweight being received in the recess formed in the sole of the golf cluband being movably connected to the golf club head, the adjustable weightbeing movable from a first position proximal the front of the club headbody to a second position proximal the rear of the club head body;wherein the movable connection permits rotation of the adjustable weightin a plane generally perpendicular to the ball striking surface of theclub head body.
 2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the adjustableweight is received in a portion of the recess in an in-use position. 3.The golf club head of claim 2, wherein another portion of the recess isvacant.
 4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the adjustable weightis connected to the club head body in the first position, the secondposition and any intermediate positions.
 5. A golf club head,comprising: a club head body having a recess formed therein, the clubhead body having a first end and a second end; and an adjustable weightshaped to be received in at least a portion of the recess formed in theclub head body, the adjustable weight being rotatable from a firstposition proximal the first end of the club head body to a secondposition proximal the second end of the club head body; wherein theadjustable weight is rotatable in a plane generally perpendicular to astriking face of the golf club head.
 6. The golf club head of claim 5,further including a hinge around which the adjustable weight is rotated.7. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the recess is formed in a soleof the club head body.
 8. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein thefirst position includes the adjustable weight contained within a firstportion of the recess and a second portion of the recess being vacant.9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the second position includesthe adjustable weight contained within a second portion of the recessand a first portion of the recess being vacant.
 10. The golf club headof claim 5, wherein the first end of the club head body is a front endof the golf club head and the second end of the club head body is a rearend of the golf club head.
 11. The golf club head of claim 5, whereinthe adjustable weight is connected to the club head body in the firstposition, the second position and any intermediate positions.
 12. A golfclub head, comprising: a club head body, the club head body including atleast a front, a rear, a heel, a toe, a sole, a top and a ball strikingsurface, the club head body defining an interior cavity of the golf clubhead; a recess formed in the sole of the club head body; and anadjustable weight configured to be received in the recess and rotatableabout a pivot point, the adjustable weight having a first end having afirst weight and a second end having a second weight, the first weightbeing different from the second weight.
 13. The golf club head of claim12, wherein the first weight is greater than the second weight.
 14. Thegolf club head of claim 12, wherein the pivot point is located in acentral region of the recess.
 15. The golf club head of claim 12,wherein the pivot point includes a fastener.
 16. The golf club head ofclaim 15, wherein the fastener is biased toward the interior cavity ofthe club head body to pull the adjustable weight toward the interiorcavity of the club head body.
 17. The golf club head of claim 12,wherein the adjustable weight is rotatable in a plane generallyperpendicular to the ball striking portion of the club head body. 18.The golf club head of claim 12, wherein the first end is formed of afirst material and the second end is formed of a second materialdifferent from the first material.
 19. The golf club head of claim 12,wherein the adjustable weight is formed of a first material and one ofthe first end and the second end includes an embedded weight formed of asecond material, different from the first material.
 20. The golf clubhead of claim 19, wherein the first material is aluminum and the secondmaterial is tungsten.
 21. A golf club head, comprising: a club head bodyhaving a recess formed therein, the club head body having a front and arear; and an adjustable weight shaped to be received in the recess ofthe club head body, the adjustable weight being adjustable from a firstposition in which a first end of the adjustable weight is positionedproximal the front of the club head body and a second end of theadjustable weight is positioned proximal the rear of the club head body,to a second position in which the first end of the adjustable weight isproximal the rear and the second end of the adjustable weight isproximal the front, wherein the first end of the adjustable weightincludes a first end weight and the second end of the adjustable weightincludes a second end weight, the second end weight being different fromthe first end weight.
 22. The golf club head of claim 21, whereinadjustment of the adjustable weight from the first position to thesecond position includes rotation of the adjustable weight about a pivotpoint.
 23. The golf club head of claim 22, wherein the pivot pointincludes a fastener.
 24. The golf club head of claim 22, whereinrotation of the adjustable weight includes rotating the adjustableweight in a plane generally perpendicular to a striking face of the golfclub head.
 25. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the second endweight is heavier than the first end weight.
 26. The golf club head ofclaim 21, wherein the first end is formed of a first material and thesecond end is formed of a second material different from the firstmaterial.
 27. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein the adjustableweight is formed of a first material and one of the first end and thesecond end includes an embedded weight formed of a second material,different from the first material.
 28. The golf club head of claim 27,wherein the first material is aluminum and the second material istungsten.
 29. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein adjustment of theadjustable weight does not include removal of the adjustable weight. 30.A golf club head, comprising: a club head body including at least aheel, a toe, a sole, a top and ball striking surface, the sole having arecess formed therein; and a weight attached to the club head body, theweight being moveable from a first position in the recess to a secondposition in the recess wherein the second position is remote from thefirst position.